Tuesday, December 31, 2013

What do you do when everything you had planned out for yourself gets changed in one summer? Do you embrace the new or fight to keep things the same?

For seventeen year old Kinzleigh everything was going just as she always planned. She had great friends, went to a school she loved, and always knew she was destined for greatness. One step already completed towards acquiring the job she has forever dreamed of, a pro football cheerleader. Nothing and no one was going to stand in her way, especially not love. What she doesn't expect is for her parents to suddenly change everything and send her spiraling into a life she didn't want for herself, especially after meeting one blue eyed boy she can't stop dreaming about. Her life is changing at every turn. She is learning that sometimes life has different plans than our own. When she finally accepts the hand fate has dealt, everything is ripped from her once again. Can she accept the ugly fate that was chosen for her or will she fight to once again accept it.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

Excerpt

I finally reach the end and sit, placing my legs over the side, but becauseof my height they do not reach the water. The night begins to replay through mythoughts. I can't believe everything I've worked so hard for is crashing downaround me. Being squad captain of one of the top 5 squads in the countryguaranteed me a spot on almost any college in the country. Even if this Hicksvilletown, Mississippi has a cheer leading squad, will they even have room foranother cheerleader? Do they even compete? Now, I'm going to have to workharder just to get a tryout at the colleges I'm interested in.

Why would my parents just pick up and move us when I have one year ofhigh school left? How do they expect me to just leave everything I know behindand start over? I have friends here, family, that has to mean something to them.This isn't fair. Maybe I can think of a way to stay behind. I just have to. Myparents have got to understand what this will do to me. I just want to wake upand realize this is all a dream. All I can do is stare out at the ocean, lost inthought.

All of my emotions finally catch up to me and the tears start to fall, heavierthis time. I can't stop them anymore. I don't know what to do. Everything wasgoing great in my life and now the misery is about to begin. I don't even try towipe the tears away anymore, I just let them flow. I don't understand out of all thestates in the continental U.S., why my parents have to choose some po-dunktown in Mississippi. I can't imagine the kind of people that reside there. After thatbig hurricane, Katrina I think, they had people walking around barefooted andmissing teeth. Do they even have shopping malls and designer clothes, I wonder,or is it full of trailer parks and cow fields. My stomach turns at the thought.I'm not sure how long I've been sitting there, staring at the water, but myback is beginning to hurt and I'm growing tired from crying, but the tears continueto fall. I should just go home and go to bed, but I'm not ready to face my parentsyet. I lay back against the pier, looking into the sky. Its dark, but the sky is clear.There is not a cloud for miles. It's beautiful glancing out at all the stars, shiningbrightly. It's also a full moon tonight. A strange peacefulness begins to wash overme, causing me to close my eyes. Clearly my mind is not in normal territory,because I would never close my eyes late at night on a public beach. There aretoo many creeps out there.

I couldn't have been laying there but what seemed like a few minutes. Imust have dozed off when, "Mind if I join you," flows through my ears in a deep,raspy voice. My eyes pop open and a tall familiar face is standing over me,looking down, with a smile on his face.

I begin to panic and sit up in a hurry, embarrassed. Embarrassment is arare trait for me and this guy has brought it out twice in one day. "I'm sorry, I don'tusually do this, it's been a bad night." I look back out at the water, gripping theside of the pier, as if the most beautiful boy isn't standing behind me. Right then, Ican feel his breathing on the back of my neck, quickening my heart rate. In theshort time, he has managed to squat behind me, the inside of each knee restingagainst my side.

He begins to whisper in my ear, "May I keep you company for a while? I'llbe quiet if that's what you need." His breath is so light, it tickles my ear. I canbarely breath, let alone speak, so I just nod. My head is fuzzy and I can't thinkwhen he's this close.

He sits beside me and removes his shoes, placing his feet in the water. I'mfinally able to exhale the breath I've been holding. "How long have you beenhere?" I turn and glance at him, to find that he's staring at me. I don't know wherethis guy is from, I don't really care, but he's gorgeous. I never take an interest in aguy, it's one of my few rules, but following rules have gotten me nowhere,obviously. I'm not thinking clearly anyway, I guess I can break my rule and enjoyhis company for a while. He is leaving soon anyway and right now I need adistraction from all this bad news.

He reaches out slowly, as if he's afraid I'll run away, placing his hand overmy cheek, rubbing his thumb underneath my eye, freeing it from the wetness ofthe tears. Great, I have no idea what I look like right now. "I needed to clear myhead and came to the beach, I saw you standing by the water earlier, are youokay?"

My eyes close at the warmth from his hand. I should be mad he followedme, but I can't. I just want him near me, but no personal questions. I don't needhim to know me or what makes me tick. I don't need any complications. I openmy eyes to him staring at my lips. "Can we just exist together without trying toobtain personal quota? Let's just enjoy casual company, two people needingnothing from each other. Clearly you're not from here, meaning you'll be gonesoon. I'm not one of those girls that needs or wants to know everything about younor do I want to spill my entire life to you. We don't have to pretend with eachother, lets call this what it is. Can you do that?"

He just stares at me as if he's trying to figure me out, like I'm a book full ofsecrets. He seems lost in my eyes, amused, confused, I don't know. We sit therestaring at each other as if we can't pull away. He doesn't say anything, just biteshis lip as if he's trying to answer his own question, or to make a decision. I'mabout to get up and walk away, when his other hand reaches behind my neck,pulling me closer. His lips stop in front of mine, close enough to touch, when hewhispers, "Beautiful," and crashes his lips to mine.

His lips are so soft and full, but needy. His warm tongue slips through theopening of my lips, requesting entry. Our tongues taste, touch, and dancetogether. A moan, barely more than a whisper, escapes my lips. I run my handsacross his arms and up his neck, into the back of his hair. My heart is beatingwildly. Foreign emotions are running through my body. I have never felt this needbefore, but it's as if my body needs more. Suddenly, I feel like I need to cross mylegs from the spasms down below. What is he doing to me? What does thismean? He turns, laying me against the pier. He has one hand on my waist, theother beside my head, holding his weight above me, like when we were at thebeach. He continues to kiss me, taking my bottom lip into his mouth, lightlysucking. He makes a low growling sound from his throat. I'm not sure why until Ifeel his need pressed against the bottom of my belly, making my eyes go widefrom surprise. Oh no, I can't go there. As if he can sense my panic, he stops. Hekisses me one last time softly and releases my lips.

He looks me in the eyes, a smile growing across his face. He brushes hisfingers through my hair, down my arm and grabs me by the hand, interlacing hisfingers with mine. "Nothing personal huh, I think I can do that." His lips brushmine quickly before he moves back to his spot of the pier, pulling me by my handto sit between his legs. "I promise I'll be good for the rest of the night. I've justwanted to do that all day."

I'm completely and utterly speechless. I have no idea what I'm doing. Inever do reckless or unplanned things like this. I have no idea who this guy is,really, and now I'm sitting on the pier making out with him. I really need to get myhead back in the game. I always think everything through before I make adecision. Being around him takes away my ability to process. Right now there areso many unknowns, but what I do know is that I'm not ready for it to end just yet.

Charisse Reid lives in the small town of Purvis, Mississippi. She is married with a
four year old daughter. She developed a love for reading through iBooks and
Kindle app, on her iPad, a year ago she never would have imagined. She loves
to escape for a while through the characters of a good romance. Any romance
will do, but she has developed a passion for indie authors. They seem to usually
develop the best stories in her opinion. Her personal favorite is Young Adult and
rocker romance. Got to love those tattooed bad boys right? She never would
have dreamed of writing until a fellow author friend mentioned she should try it
through editing a work in progress for her.
At first, she thought it was funny because editing was as close as she thought
she would get to the creative side of book writing, but then came up with a
storyline and decided to give it a shot. Now she absolutely loves to write and has
several books lined up that she cannot wait to share with the world.

Phoenix has been stumbling through life since her brother Adric's tragic death but after eight years, she is finally piecing what remains together. She has a nice apartment, a steady job and not to mention a fresh new 'relationship' with her childhood friend, Kade Haze. He's the sexy boy next door that she never even dreamed of falling for, but can’t seem to stop the pull she feels toward him.

Just when life began to make sense again and a feeling of normalcy was on the horizon, Phoenix's carefully constructed walls come crashing down.

When walking into the tattoo shop one day, the last thing that she’s expecting to see is Kellan Haze, Adric’s best friend that no one has seen or heard from since the day that they found her brother’s body. He’s nothing as she remembers him as a child, with his wild messy hair, tattoos that cover most of his undeniably sexy body and eyes so intense that it makes her legs quiver with one look. The one thing that even she can’t deny is the instant rush that she feels just by being in his presence.

But how can you choose between love and lust when one of these hold a dark secret, one that can crush your world to pieces and leave you gasping for air. Who can you trust when your mind is pulling you in two different directions and your heart has to choose for you?

The Haze brothers are sexy, daring and possibly . . . dangerous.

This Regret is a story of love, lust, betrayal and danger with an ending that no one saw coming.

•••••••••••••••••••

Excerpt

I sit there fighting to catch my breath as I watch him run his hands over his face before running his fingers through his hair, tugging it.

“That’s all I’ll ever be to you, isn’t it? Adric’s little sister,” I say stiffly. “I’m not a child anymore and I have taken more pain than you know. You think you’ve been hurting over the years, well fuck you Kellan because I’ve been hurting worse.” I stand up from the desk and pull my skirt down. I’m in so much heartache right now, especially after getting to feel those lips on mine, just to take the feeling away and never give it again. It hurts like hell, but I refuse to show it. “Oh and don’t ever kiss me again. I don’t think your brother would like his lips to be where yours has been.”

The look on his face is as if I’ve just slapped him. It’s the same look that Kade had given me when I called him by his brother’s name. I don’t even know why I just said what I said. Maybe I want to hurt him just as bad as he has hurt me over the years.

He rubs a hand over his mouth and looks me in the eye. “You’re right. I don’t think he would like that either.” He stares me in the eyes while walking over to stand in front of me. His eyes trail down to my lips as he speaks again. “But I think I fucking hate his lips on yours more.”

Before I can speak, his lips crush mine again as he backs me up against the wall. This time he doesn’t even ask for entrance, he just takes it. He places his hand on my chin and pushes my head back, causing me to gasp as he slips his tongue into my mouth. His tongue hungrily caresses mine and this time, I feel the coolness of the steel in his mouth as he swirls his tongue around mine, before sucking it into his mouth. “Fuck the rules and fuck what Kade wants. Here’s to making this day better. Today, you’re mine.”

I look at his mouth as he runs his tongue over his lip and looks me in the eye. “Kellan, you don’t have to-“

“Come with me,” he breathes. “I have places that I want to take you.”

His Adams apple bobs as he looks at me waiting for a response. “What about the party and your family?”

“Screw the party, Phoenix. This day is about you and being sure that you never have to suffer on this day again. Give me a chance to change your mind.”

He looks at me pleadingly and I can’t help but to give in. A part of me doesn’t even care where he’s taking me as long as I’m with him. “Okay, take me anywhere you want.”

Victoria Ashley grew up in Rockford, IL and has had a passion for reading for as long as she can remember. After finding a reading app where it allowed readers to upload their own stories, she gave it a shot and writing became her passion.

She lives for a good romance book with tattooed bad boys that are just highly misunderstood and is not afraid to be caught crying during a good read. When she’s not reading or writing about bad boys, you can find her watching her favorite shows such as, The Vampire Diaries, Dexter and True Blood.

She is the author of Wake Up Call and is currently working on her next book, This Regret releasing in February 2014.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Magazine journalist Rachel Bennett has a reputation for getting to the heart of a story. However, when her sister disappears and is suspected of embezzling from her employer, the story has suddenly become personal. The last thing Rachel wants right now is the distraction of Sergeant Matt Romero, the detective assigned to the case. She wants a “safe” man…and Matt is anything but that.

Matt accepts the risk that goes with his job. Two years ago, his wife was murdered, a tragedy he blames himself for. He's vowed to protect his family and friends because he doesn't want to go through the pain of loss again. However, the lovely journalist soon begins breaking through the icy wall around his heart.

As Rachel and Matt search for answers in order to find her sister, they uncover a corruption that puts them both in danger – and a passion that puts both their hearts at risk.

TEASER:

When journalist Rachel Bennett’s sister disappears, the story becomes personal. The last thing she wants is the distraction of Sergeant Matt Romero.

Laurie White is the author of two published novels from Sweet Cravings

Publishing. She loves writing sexy, suspenseful stories that feature

strong heroines and troubled yet honorable heroes. In her other life

,

Laurie is a veterinary technician and proud momma of four cats. She

lives in the hills of Tennessee.

PUBLISHED NOVELS:WITHOUT A TRACE - Coming February 2014 from Sweet CravingsPublishing!TWIST OF FATE - February 2013 from Sweet Cravings PublishingDESERT HEAT - October 2012 from Sweet Cravings Publishing

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Yes, Master by Margaret McHeyzer

Dark Erotic Romance

Release Date: February 19, 2014

My uncle raped me.
I was 10 years old when it started.
At 13 he told me I was no longer wanted because I had started to develop.
At 16 I was ready to kill him.
Today, I’m broken.
Today, I only breathe to survive.
My name’s Sergeant Major Ryan Jenkins and today, I’m ready to tell you my story.

***

“Master would flog me if I did, she won’t be happy when I tell her what happened here.”“Master?”“Stella.”Oh, Master.“It’s just such a difficult situation.”“Of course it’s difficult.” She stops talking and taps her fingernails again. My eyes go to where she’s tapping, and then follow up to her face. I try to avoid her abrasive orbs. “You’re overpowered by agony and torment, and it’s slowly claiming you day by day.”I finally concede and look into Stella's eyes. Because every word she’s said, and every sentence that she’s breathed out has been so accurate about me.“Freedom,” she says as I intake a huge gulp of air at that word. “I can promise you freedom if you can promise me you’ll never lie to me.”Fuck.I want it. I think I may even deserve my very own happily ever after. Are they real? According to movies and books they’re attainable. But this isn’t a movie, or even a fucking book.This is my life.And I’m going to try to get it.“No lies, ever,” I whisper.
I don't do 'normal'.
I've found that the more I write, the more I like being different to other authors. I write in first person, and I love to challenge a reader.
I take the normal and switch it around.
For me, I really enjoy getting a reaction from a reader. So if I can evoke an emotion (regardless of if it's the emotion the reader wants) then I figure that I've done my job as an author I want to be.
I really quite revel in taking people out of their comfort zones and pushing them to read something different.
My genre of writing is, well quite frankly, where ever my mind goes. I won't label myself because I don't like sticking to one genre.
My goal with writing is just to take people away from whatever is going on in their lives, even if it's only for a split second.
I'm a go with the flow sort of person and don't really take a course of action to get where I am going. I live in the moment and don't usually worry about tomorrow because whatever life is due to bring me, I'll be happy to accept.
I love my family and friends and will help anyway I can if someone needs it. I really don't like people that are nasty just because they can be, I don't believe that's necessary, I mean life's hard enough as it is!
I hope you enjoy my books, I've had a hoot writing them. There's more to come.....
Til next time.
M xx

“He left me. Over and over again, promising he would come home and I waited. We both did and then one day he didn’t come back, instead they brought him back as he lays today and I cannot put myself through that again. You say it is your last time, but what do you mean it’s your last? How do you know? How could you know? I may be young but I am anything but naïve, I know the life. I’m fully aware of the threats involved with what you do. There will be a day that you are called away from me again, and that may be the last time. Do you understand? Do you really understand that I cannot let someone who I love walk away from me again and never return.”

Nicky Jayne was born and raised in England but now resides in Las Vegas with her Husband and two boys. When she is not writing, she has her nose firmly placed in a book. She released her first series in September 2013. The Embrace Series, Embracing Life and Embracing Love. You can visit her at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicky-Jayne/409522015823277?ref=hl

Riley lost her father at a
young age. She was familiar with saying goodbyes to him every time he left to
do his job. He was a military man and her hero. The heartache she felt when he
didn’t return from duty…broke her.

Riley refused to lose
another person the same way she had lost her father. She would not live the
life her mother chose to live. Soldiers…men of war, she could not allow herself
to fall for one. They were banned from her heart, she wouldn’t fall…or would
she?

Tanner returns home on
leave from the military to spend some time with his sister and father. He didn’t
plan for anything more than that, but when he finds Riley, plans change.

No matter how hard they
both try to fight t they can’t get away. They fall for one another and there is
no looking back.

Tanner leaves for active
duty asking Riley… “Wait For Me?”

She has lost once and is
terrified of losing again…she knows her heart can’t take it.

This was an enjoyable read
I just wished there was more depth into their time together. I felt for Riley
and her struggles to cope with her father’s death and Tanner had struggles of
his own. In the end Riley gets the love she deserves and Tanner gets his heart
back.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

I was thrilled when I was offered a graduate teaching position at the prestigious Tennerson Girls Academy. At twenty-three, this would be my first ‘real’ teaching assignment. Working at the elite boarding school, home to the daughters of some of the wealthiest people in the world, was a great opportunity that I would’ve been stupid to pass up.

One week into my new job, and I suddenly had no idea why I chose high school…I was a seventeen year old boy once, I knew how teenage girls behaved.

You can’t even imagine the hell of trying to teach thirty, hormonal driven seventeen year olds who have been cooped up, away from any male contact.

I could handle the whispers every time I entered the room. I could even handle the obvious attempts at gaining my attention. What I couldn’t handle was her…

Rich bitches and way too many rules. Was it any wonder that I hated school?

Add to that the lack of male contact, and I was going insane. Like literally. I wasn’t used to this. A year ago I was normal. I had a boyfriend, friends and a loving family. There is nothing normal about me anymore, and nobody here lets me forget that.

My name is Wrenn, and I’m only here because my aunt took me in after what happened, but my aunt also happens to be the headmistress of this academy…Can you see my problem?

I’m hated for my lack of money, and I’m hated for who my Aunt is.

Then he arrived. Dalton Reed. My new history teacher.

Slowly, he helped me see that even in the worst situations, there is always hope.

Dalton is just out of college and onto his first teaching assignment at a prestigious all girls high school. He's 23, their spoiled, rich, hormonal teenagers who are used to getting what they want. And many of them want him, all except the headmistresses niece, Wrenn. Wrenn just came to live with her Aunt after the death of her family, at 18 she just wants to finish her last few weeks of high school before starting her "real life" in college. Neither was expecting the other, but what do you do when you can't help but fall for someone forbidden especially when you have secrets that could tear your relationship apart?The forbidden love is just one aspect to this amazing story. It also touches on learning to survive when your the last one standing after the death of your family and seeing that there is someone out there who will be there for you. It is shows you inside of someone's head who may or may not have a hereditary disease that would eventually kill you. You get to see Dalton's struggles as he faces the unknown and whether not he could put someone he loves through what his mother went through with is father. Loved the altering POV's showing how the main characters were feeling and how they deal with their feelings, their pasts, and their possible futures.

Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she's a cat, a cat who thinks he's a dog...you get the picture).

When she's not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.

Schizoaffective disorder: a mental illness in which a person experiences a combination of mood disorder and schizophrenia symptoms.I know about this illness—very well—because I suffer from it. It’s been four years since my diagnosis, and ever since, I’ve been living in a dark hole. Voices constantly invading my thoughts. Hallucinations. All of which force me to question if what I’m experiencing is even reality.But here I am, still hanging on, still breathing and living through it.That is, until he stumbled into my life. Logan Reed. I don’t want any part of him. I’ve pushed him away, but he isn’t easily deterred. I’ve told him I’m different, but he doesn’t care. He’s trying to slowly break me down. I’m trying just as hard not to let him. He doesn’t know how truly damaged I am; what will happen when he does?I know the truth—he’ll never be able to look at me the same way again. Just like everybody else.